"Long Live Tommy Bahama"

"The Author and Bella" (on the occasion of her 3rd Birthday)

Ok, I'm using purple colored font, because this is a commentary on fashion. As I was reading the Accent section of today's News-Journal, I learned, at least from Nada Manley's point of view, that my sense of style was passe'. She was schooling me on the "Four Corners of a Well-Stocked Wardrobe"... Shorts - Jeans - T-shirts - Collared Casual Shirts. Now, I'm neither old-fashioned, nor prone to jump on trends, yet by her assessment, I'm not doing well.

At 62, I've lived through some pretty radical eras in men's fashion. To wit: Junior high in the late 50's was "pink tab-collar shirt, charcoal pants, skinny silver belt, tan buck shoes and a flat-top haircut ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattop )." Things got whacky with the "hippie" influence of "long hair, beards, army jackets, tie-dye, etc." in the late 60's, through much of the 70's. Then came "Saturday Night Fever" and the disco revolution. Tight polyester pants and shirts with wide collars and contrast stitching. High heeled boots, leisure suits ( http://www.bookrags.com/research/1970s-fashion-bbbb-04/leisure-suit-bbbb-04.html ), and pork chop sideburns. I, thank God, was spared much of this because of my active duty status with the US Army. Alas, the Generals in charge were unmoved by the fashion gods.

Then we hit the 90's and one of the most glorious fashion statements of all time - "The Mullet"... ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullet_(haircut). And, no, I never had one. Never had a pony-tail either. This was my plight: I spent twenty years in the Army - the twenty best "hair follicle potency" years of my life. By the time I became an official civilian, things were "a little thin" on top. My options, therefore, were somewhat limited. No way was I going for one of those "50-ish Hollywood Producer Stubby Pony Tail" jobs either.

Now, here we are in 2007. I think I'm safe in saying that there is no current fashion trend that crosses lines. Younger guys seem to be most influenced by the hip-hop scene. But am I alone in thinking that "baggy pants, exposed skivvies, LA Lakers shirt, hat on backwards, and lots of bling" is getting... like really old? The only hair style that seems to keep hanging around is the one that looks sort of like "1/2 cup Super Mega Spike gel - mix with egg beater - let dry"... like the guy on "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition." And I suppose, here in Florida, we need to pay homage to "NASCAR Chic" (lots of camo, Junior #8 Budweiser T-shirt, cowboy boots, "The 24 Car Sucks" baseball hat)... and "Biker Chic" (Black sleeveless Bike Week shirt, lots of tats, black jeans, black HD boots, black bandanna, black vest).

Well, I just like my Tommy Bahamas... ( http://www.tommybahama.com/index.jsp ), as you can see in the above photo of me and my granddaughter. Give me them... and my generously fitted T-shirts, faded jeans, khaki pants, and outdoor style cargo shorts - All from L.L.Bean, The Territory Ahead, Cabela's, etc. - And all out of date, according to the "Style Squared" article. Oh, well. Tough cookies. Fashion is for girls, anyway.